Emmelie Scholtens and Apache have taken a first stand in the Dutch team selection process for the 2017 European Championships by winning the 3* Grand Prix class at the 2017 CDIO Rotterdam on Friday 23 June 2017. The 3* Grand Prix class had all Dutch team candidates lined up with three Americans, a French, a Finnish, a Belgian and a Spanish rider.
The 2017 CDIO Rotterdam is the first of two Dutch team selection trials with the second and last one at the Dutch Championships in July. With Madeleine Witte-Vrees and Hans Peter Minderhoud certain about their team spot and Edward Gal quite safe for the third slot (either with Voice or Zonik), the fourth place is still up for grabs. With both Grand Prix classes ridden in Rotterdam Emmelie Scholtens has turned out to be a favourite for the spot ahead of Diederik van Silfhout and Jeannette Haazen.
Scholtens and the 12-year old Dutch stallion Apache (by UB40 x Krack C) rode a very expressive trot tour with good flow between the collection, lateral and extended movements. The extended walk needed more overtrack and the collected walk was a ridden too freely. Apache is lightfooted in the passage, but the piaffe remains quite small and sometimes the horse loses the forward tendency with the hindlegs. The canter work is outstanding. The extended canter was uphill, the zig zag well ridden and the tempi changes correct. Overall the horse needs to be more open in the throat latch as he gets quite tight in the neck throughout.
The judging panel for the 3* Grand Prix, which was ridden in the second competition arena in the woods next to the main stadium, included Matthiesen, Verbeek, Hoevenaars, Wessels and Eisenhardt. They rewarded Scholtens with 75.880% for the victory though her marks ranged from 73.800% to 78.000%.
Edward Gal rode his second international on the young, 9-year old Danish stallion Zonik (by Zack x Romanov) and finished second with 75.440%. The judging panel was much more unanimous with all five scores closely together this time, in comparison to Gal's CDI debut in Roosendaal where his scores veered almost 10%. In Rotterdam, the flamboyant and very flashy Zonik produced whopping trot extensions and big half passes, although Zonik tilted to the head in the one to the left. The passage has much airtime and suspension but the first one began uneven and in the second the horse got too exalted, which led to an irregular rhythm and a short canter strike off. The stallion still struggles much with the piaffe. In the first one he got too narrow at the base and unbalanced, the second was better regulated but on the forehand and with the hock sometimes pulling high and out; the same happened in the piaffe at x. The extended walk was very nice. In canter Zonik the two tempi changes were good, the extended canter did not have any proper lengthening of the frame even though the horse veered off the ground. The zig zag was good, the one tempi changes were short and tight in the back and the small pirouettes were ridden on the blank curb. The final centerline still had much energy and activity.
American Adrienne Lyle made her European debut on her new Grand Prix horse Salvino, a 10-year old Hanoverian stallion by Sandro Hit x Donnerhall, owned by an American syndicate. After the retirement of Adrienne's 2012 London Olympic ride Wizard, Lyle had to take a step back from the spotlight to build a future on new horses. Salvino is her new international ride. Salvino can not hide his parentage with Sandro Hit written all over him: gorgeous face, athletic body and long hind legs that not always step under sufficiently, but Lyle showed very good training on the stallion. The trot was a bit hectic with the stride length, the contact and head position not always steady and regular. The half passes had much ground cover. The extended walk had one to two hooves overstep but the stride length could be longer.The stallion has much elevation in passage but the right hindleg showed more activity. The second passage was a bit overcollected. Salvino showed above average ability to sit in piaffe, compared to other Sandro Hits. Especially Salvino's second piaffe was nice. In the tempi changes he still swings in the hindquarters and the extended canter was on the forehand. The zig zag was well ridden, despite an early change. They scored 72.420% with marks ranging from 70.100% to 74.700%.
Dutch Jeannette Haazen and the Belgian owned 14-year old Belgian warmblood Dabanos d'O4 (by Abanos) were probably the most underscored pair of the day. The combination has been on a stellar rise, improving from show to show since Compiegne and Roosendaal. The hyper sensitive Dabanos, who used to be tense and distracted, has found confidence in his gifter rider and the pair produced wonderful, correct work. In trot Dabanos might not be totally elastic in the top line, but he's up in the frame, constant at the vertical and soft in the bridle. His passage is outstanding and his piaffe is brilliantly rhythmical and on the spot. The second piaffe should have been good for a 10. The walk is always the sore point, as the horse struggles to achieve overtrack. The tempi changes were straight and uphill but one change was short in the ones. They scored 71.760% but that could easily have been more.
Tommie Visser and Valentijn van Weering's 15-year old Dutch gelding Vingino (by Polansky x Variant) completed the top five with 69.600%. The liver chestnut looked tender in the extended trots and was a bit uneven in the rhythm in the half pass right. The passage was not enough carried from behind, but the piaffes were delightful. The gelding really sits and takes the weight on the hindlegs (although he grinds his teeth). The one tempi changes were lovely.
Text and Photos © Astrid Appels - No reproduction allowed
Eurodressage's Astrid Appels was on the scene taking photos of all dressage riders. If you are interested in digital files or prints for personal use, social media, etc. contact us.
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